Gleavarreck River
The Gleavarreck River is the once mighty machine that powered the Glodon culture. While the region between the Gleavarreck and the ocean (east of the river) is still considered a desert, this is not entirely true. The southeastern corner of Hughijen receives quite a bit of rain. Part of the problem though is that it receives too much rain in the winter and spring and not enough in the summer and fall. When the Glodon culture was thriving and expanding, the Gleavarreck River was strong enough to irrigate the fields in summer to produce bountiful harvests. Now that the river has lost much of its power, the farmers have a very short growing season to rely on, plus they must have their crops in the ground during the harshest rains, risking the young plants. The Gleavarreck is fed by a number of different tributaries. Some of these rivers and streams begin in the Nefetis Mountains, but many others are the drainage from the badlands that make up the northern half of the desert. While we continue to describe the Gleavarreck as a nearly dead thing, it is not. Even in summer the river will continue to run. Most years it runs strong enough to allow barges to travel on it year-round, but in late summer and fall, the speed and depth of the river are severely reduced. Due to silt and other variables, sections of the river have been known to be as low as 18”, but even in summer the river is on average over three feet deep. A lack of major trees in the area prevents the river from being fouled by limbs and other barriers that can form dangerous, underwater obstacles in other rivers around the world. While the river may average three feet, it is still a difficult river to ford. The bottom is deep with mud and silt, and “pot holes” can be found nearly everywhere. For this reason, it is still necessary to be ferried across the river. Near Chulme, the river is close to two miles across, but it is plainly obvious from the valley the river once cut that it has been as large as four miles across. Due to silt collecting and forming salt marshes near the delta of the river, the city of Chulme, always considered a coastal city, is now about three miles from the ocean. While the poor will build their homes on the marshes, most of the city relies on the river for transport to the ocean. The spring rains and frequent hurricanes in early summer often cause the Gleavarreck to flood. At one time it was this flooding that nurtured the fields, but with the river shrinking in size, the flood waters simply refill the river for a month or so. Some farmers have set up irrigation systems and fertilize their fields with river muck, but these operations require a great deal of manual labor. Ancient poems have described the river as mighty, but it is more commonly referred to as the “Trickling River” now. Category:Rivers Category:Headwaters Category:Famine